‘Humiliated’ AFL star walks out of debate
‘‘I won’t sit down and take that.’’ ‘‘I love OUR game and I will never, ever let anyone tell me or any girl that we don’t belong or deserve to pull this jumper on at this level. We are one.’’ In a now deleted post on Instagram, Hope’s partner – model Isa
AFLW marquee player Moana Hope says she is ‘‘embarrassed, ashamed, humiliated and disgusted’’ by remarks Mick Malthouse made about women’s football at a grand final luncheon in Australia.
Malthouse reportedly said Aussie Rules was a ‘‘man’s game’’ and that women should play a modified game to reduce injuries.
The event in Victoria, organised by the North Ballarat Sports Club, featured Malthouse, Hope, and Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis on a panel to celebrate the upcoming grand final.
However, Hope left the function during the panel talk after she said Malthouse made ‘‘degrading’’ comments about women’s footy during the panel.
Malthouse, who coached a record 718 senior games, told the crowd he believed AFL should be modified for women. He also compared a game with six-six-six starting positions as similar to netball, where players should ‘‘wear skirts’’.
Hope left the event and made her way back to Melbourne.
"Embarrassed, ashamed, humiliated disgusted just to say the least,’’ she wrote on Instagram following the lunch. I said the 18-metre rule is ridiculous,’’ he said.
The AFL Competition Committee has recently signed off on recommendations that would see the length of goal square extended from nine to 18 metres, and six-sixsix starting positions enforced at every centre bounce.
‘‘Two, I said a game divided up into divisions is netball and they wear a skirt. We do not want to make it into divisions . . . we do not need a football ground broken into divisions.’’ He said he would ‘‘never apologise’’ for his opinion that there should be a modified game for women.
‘‘As far as AFLW, I don’t like it in its present format . . . they subject themselves to massive injuries.’’